2001 Volunteer Leader Training Guide
Pillars of Character – Responsibility

Printer Friendly Version (PDF)

Introduction

Taking responsibility is a way to show we are people of character. It means doing our part, controlling our thoughts and actions and doing our best. When we are acting responsibly, we take the blame when it is due and do not claim credit for other people’s work. We accept responsibility for our decisions.

Being responsible means that you:

• Think about consequences on yourself and others before you act.

• Don’t make excuses or blame others.

• Do your best. Work hard. Make all you do worthy of pride.

• Set realistic goals.

• Know the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.

• Be accountable. Accept responsibility for the consequences of your choices, not only what you do but what you don’t do.

• Use self-control. Be sensible and self-disciplined with your health, emotions, time and money.

(Adapted from Show-Me Character, University of Missouri, and CHARACTER COUNTS! – The Six Pillars of Character, Josephson Institute of Ethics.)

Target Audience

This guide provides 4-H leaders, EHC leaders and teens with information and an activity to teach lessons on character to youth 9 to 12 years old.

Objective

Participants will reinforce concepts of responsibility by participating in an experiential process of learning.

Teaching Recommendation

Experiential learning takes place when a person is involved in an activity, looks back at it critically, determines what was useful or important to remember, and uses this information to perform another activity. In the past few years, research in the area of experiential learning has strengthened this approach by adding several key processing steps beyond simply doing the activity or experience. These steps include:

• having the participant(s) experience the activity – perform or do it;

• having the participant(s) share the experience by describing what happened;

• asking participant(s) to process the experience to identify common themes;

• having participant(s) generalize from the experience to form principles or guidelines that can be used in real-life situations, e.g., life skills;

• asking participant(s) to apply what was learned to another situation.

Providing an experience alone does not create "experiential learning." The activity comes first. The learning comes from the thoughts and ideas as a result of the experience. This is a "learn by doing" or experiential process (Do–Reflect–Apply). Addressing each step in the process assures a purposeful plan to obtain a specific goal.

Activity

Discussion Questions/Processing

You can talk about the item as a message we are sending to each other and the importance of sending clearly so the message can be "received."

Questions

• Are the messages being sent and received clearly?

• What happens when action gets so chaotic and messages are lost?

• Discuss how messages come in different sizes and shapes and how we have to pay attention in order to receive and send clearly.

• What can we learn from this activity?

• Do we always set realistic goals?

• Do we make excuses for our work or blame others?

• How can we ensure that others receive our messages clearly?

• What can we relate from this activity to our role as 4-H club members, helpers, leaders, etc.?

You can also relate this activity to a wide variety of topics in addition to responsibility, such as diversity, by relating how the items being thrown connect everyone. Each item being thrown is different, just as the people in the circle are different. Also everyone in the circle is accountable for the team’s success by bringing a wide variety of unique skills and talents to the group.

(Adapted from Cowstails and Cobras II, Karl Rohnke, by Mike Klumpp, Youth Development Specialist.)

Additional Resources

• Exercising Character" curriculum available through the county Extension office has activity-based lesson plans to help teens and other teachers to work with kids on issues of developing and strengthening personal character.
   

• "Building Assets Together: 135 Group Activities for Helping Youth Succeed" is a collection of group activities and worksheets that help young people explore assets that strengthen their lives, sources of support and areas for growth. Available through the county Extension office or from the Search Institute (800-888-7828).
   

• Character Education Websites:

Character Counts!

Character Education/Utah State Office of Education

Beverly Hines, 4-H Specialist/Section Leader - 4-H Program, and
Mike Klumpp, Youth Development Specialist

Back to 2001 Leader Training Guide